Exchange Magic

Colm stood up quickly from the table as loud voices came through the wall to the workshop.

“There's the fireworks,” Marion said and smiled. “Do you want to handle it or shall I?” she asked.

“I'm the Master Healer, I guess it's my job,” Colm said and stood with a great show of reluctance. in fact he'd been waiting for the two of them to break the ice a little more. Sometimes you have to hit the ice pretty hard to break it.

He put on his best “Master” face and entered slowly, unruffled. “Oh dear, ladies, is there something amiss?”

Daisy started first. “Master Colm, it's my preservation spell, and it doesn't matter what I preserve in it, right? You told us to choose a plant, and I did! I've been watching it, and it's ready for the ritual tonight. But Kaelyn says I'm wasting an opportunity.”

Kaelyn cut in “Master, we have been preparing these spells fro weeks, and that preparation and time should go to healing the people of Strand, not some vainglorious trinket.” Colm noticed that Kaelyn liked multi syllabic words when she was expressing anger. (how did he notice that? Citation needed)

“And what is it that you want to preserve?” Colm asked Daisy. She looked down and blushed a little. “Ah, well, a, a daisy. There's a perfect one just out in the clearing.”

“And what will you do with this perfect daisy?”

“Well, master, I thought I could frame it and put it in my room.”

Colm sat quietly, just listening. Daisy continued. “Because, well, beautiful things are...nice, and good for our souls. No matter what Kaelyn says.” She finished with a dark look at Kaelyn. “Beauty is fine, but we have a duty, and we have prepared so carefully for this...”

“Why does it always have to be about duty?” Daisy asked.

“how long does a preserved specimen last?” Colm asked, in his quiet, gentle voice. Kaelyn stopped and considered.

“It depends on the skill and care of the person doing the work, I suppose, but at least a year, and...I don't now if there is an upper limit. I've never heard of a preserved specimen lasting indefinitely...”

“That's because I have never preserved something,” Daisy said witha toss of her head.

Colm stifled a laugh, a skill he had perfected over long years of working with apprentices.

“You're not perfect, you know. You can't even prepare a numbing salve correctly, what makes you think your preservation is any better?” Kaelyn asked.

“I know I'm not perfect; unlike some people I never try to convince people that I am.”

“No, you just smile at them and leave them to jump to that conclusion on their own.” Kaelyn muttered.

“Perhaps this can be something in the nature of an experiment. If Daisy preserves her daisy, we can observe how long a specimen will last. Kaelyn, can you think of a way to enhance the spell, perhaps with the frame?”

Kaelyn looked at her master and considered. She was ware that she was being manipulated away from the argument, but it was an interesting question. “You'd need to strengthen the gauze, regular cotton or flax won't do, you needs something that will last, and perhaps a desiccant in there, as a powder..”

“Hold it in place with twisted copper, connected to the frame and the nail,” Daisy said. Kaelyn looked confused.

“Why?” Daisy just shrugged, but Colm nodded. “A copper loop can indeed improve consistency of effect inside its circumference. A friend of mine taught me that years ago. Why did you think of it just now, Daisy?”

Again, Daisy just shrugged. “It felt like it would help,” she said.

Kaelyn felt a little sidelined, and she was the one doing the good, responsible thing. “But, what about my herbs, master?”

“I have no doubt that we will be very glad of them in the deep winter, Kaelyn. I am grateful for your foresight, but don't discount Daisy's insight. You are both excellent at what you do, my apprentices. But you need to trust each other.”

“Yes, Master Colm,” They replied in unison.